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Ukraine will accede to NATO earlier than to EU – Kuleba

12.11.2019 14:01Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers plans to get within five years NATO’s decision on the country’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Dmytro Kuleba has said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

According to him, a new format of cooperation will allow the Ukrainian government to identify priority areas to which the assistance received should be directed.

“This is a new approach that enhances the effectiveness of the provision and use of this assistance. In particular, through this mechanism, it will be easier for us to identify the priority areas to which we will direct the assistance received. In particular, we want to focus on the Special Operations Forces, the Navy, and logistics,” Kuleba said.

He said that the North Atlantic Alliance had decided to optimize its assistance mechanisms for partner countries and created a program called “One Partner – One Plan.”

“NATO and Ukraine have a particularly deep and large-scale relationship format. Ukraine will set an example for others. Our model will then be used to build relations with other countries. This does not in any way alter the essence of our relations with the Alliance and our further integration. It is about optimizing the form of providing assistance to us,” Kuleba said.

Kuleba also noted that the government’s plans for the next five years include the receipt of a political decision from the Alliance on the beginning of Ukraine’s accession to NATO.

“The political decision on Ukraine’s joining the Alliance was made in 2008. But the next stage is the beginning of the accession process. We want to accomplish our homework in five years, in conjunction with the Alliance, because integration is a two-way process. In five years, we want to sit down with them at the table and say: ‘Guys, we’re ready, now it’s your turn.’ I think we will join NATO earlier than [we join] the EU,” he said.

Ukraine needs to join a new alliance for eastern Europe. The former soviet republics know the Moskali much better than the misguided policies of western Europe of trade and selective cooperation. Call it the Visegrad union or whatever. It seems pretty clear that the political demographics are naturally split between eastern and western Europe.